Folding furniture



Jan. 26 1926.

F. SIMMONS FOLDING FURNITURE Filed March 11. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOI? ammms lT/VESSES 4 TI'ORNEYS F. SIMMONS FOLDING: FURNITURE Filed March 11, 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES INVENTOI? W0 W/vm/ 4 TTOR/VEYS Patented an. 26, 1926.

UNITED. STATES PATENIT OFFICE.

' 1mm summons, or nnooxmm, NEW YORK, assrenoa or one-m1 'ro-eaonen 2 RIEGEB, or nnooxmm, NEW 203:.

FOIJ DING FURNITURE.

Application filed March 11, 1924. Serial No. 688,542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FINN SIMMons, a citizen of the United States, and a resldent of the cit of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in t e county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and Improved Folding Furniture, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. v

This invention has relation to folding furniture and has particular reference to folding chairs, stools, or the like.

The outstanding object of the present invention resides in the provision of a folding article of furniture in which the supporting means is capable of collapsing to a minimum whereby the furniture may be folded into a compact article for transportation and storage.

The invention further contemplates a foldable supporting leg structure which is especially designed for use in connection with articles of furniture which is extremely strong and durable in its construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which is thoroughly reliable and highly eflicient in its purpose.

With the above recited and other objects in View, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, it being understood that the rig t is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated herein to the full extent indicated by the general meaning of the terms in which the claims are expressed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a chair constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the same in set up condition.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear view thereof with parts in section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the chair in partially collapsed or folded condition.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of folding chair illustrating the same in set up cond1tion.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view therethrough.

Fig. 7 is a side view illustrating the manner of folding.

-F1g. 8 is a side viewof the same in partlally folded condition.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the chair illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive consists of a seat member 10 and a back member 11, each of which is of substantially box-like oonstructon, the former member constituting a receptacle body and the latter a cover therefor. The member 10 has secured thereto at its op-' posite sides and at the rear end angle brackets 12 which have dependingapertured ears 13. The member 11 has secured to its lower end angle brackets 14 having dependmg apertured ears 15 and the apertured ears 15 and 13 are aligned to receive therethrough pivot pins or rivets 16 whereby the. members 1O and'll are hingedly connected together so that the member 11 may be swung to closed relation with respect to the member 10 or to an open relation whereby the member 11 projects upwardly from the rear edge of the member .10. In order to retain the member 11 in the latter position to constitute a back rest, a gravity latch consisting of a rod 17 having reduced terminals 18 is employed, the terminals extending through slots 19 in the side'flanges 30 of the member 11 whereby the rod 17 is mounted for vertical sliding movement. The upper edge of the angle brackets 12 are formed with notches 21 from one wall of which notches the bracket is provided with a downwardly curved portion 22 constituting a cam face. The projecting reduced terminals. 18 are designed uponv swinging of the member 11 to open position to engage with the cam faces 22 to lift the rod 17 until the slots 19 register with the notches 21, at which point the rod will gravitate until the terminals 18 drop into the notches 21 to lock the member 11 in the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

The supporting means which consists of a plurality of pivotally connected element's capable of folding to a position to be received within the members 10 and 11 when closed, comprises inverted U-shaped members 25 and 26, the side arms of which are pivotally connected together as at 27 at e mdistantly spaced points adjacent the rec ends thereof. The U-shaped member 25 has its side arms pivoted as at 28 adjacent Its bight portion to the inner side of the rear portion of the member 10, while the bight ortion 29 of the inverted U-shaped mem- Eer 26 is movable toward and away from the bight ortion of the member 25 between the guide Ears 30 which are arranged wlthin the member 10. The supporting means further includes U-shaped members 31 and 32, the side arms of which are pivotally connected together as at 33 at equidistantly spaced points adjacent their free ends. The free ends of the side arms of the member 25 are pivotall connected as at 3 1 to the free ends of the side arms of the member 32 and the free ends of the side arms of the member 26 are pivotally connected by means of a cross rod 35 with the free ends of the side arms of the member 31. Under this construction and arrangement it is obvious that upon swinging of the members 25 and 26 into substantially parallel relation the members 31 and 32 will be swung into parallel relation and the ivotal points of connection 34 and 35 will e disposed in substantially axial alignment which will permit of the swinging of the lower members 31 and 32 into substantially parallel relation to the upper members 25 and 26 whereby the same may be nested within the sections 10 and 11 when closed so that said members constitute a receptacle or container for the supporting means. It further follows that to set up the chair, after the member 11 is swung to the open position illustrated in Fi 1, the members 31 and 32 are swung to t e position in prolongation to the members 25 and 26. By then swinging the bight 29 of the member 26 forwardly and away from the bight of the member 25 relative separation of the lower bight portion of the members 31 and 32 is effected. When the bight portion 29 engages with the forward end of the guide bars 30, the separating movement thereof is arrested and the separated bight portions of the members 31 and 32 constitute ground engaging portions which efi'ectually support the chair.

In the modified adaptation of the invention illustrated in 'Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, a supporting means for a chair or other article of furniture substantially identical to that illustrated and described in the preferred embodiment has been shown for use in connection with a chair or other article of fur- 1,57o,eea

at its front and rear edges to the bight portion 29 of the member 26 and-to the b1 ht portion'o'f the member 25, the said flexi le seat portion 1O serving to limit the relative swinging of saidbight portions away from each other. In this instance the back rest consists of an inverted U-shaped member 11 over which a flexible strip of material 12 is stretched. The side arms of the inverted U-shaped member 11 adjacent their lower ends are pivotally connected at 13 to the side arms of the inverted U-shaped member 25 adjacent its upper bight portion so that upon collapsing of the device as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 the said member 11 may be swung to a position substantially parallel to the members 25 and 26 when folded. In order to arrest the rearward swinging movement of the back rest member the lower terminals of the inverted U-shaped member 11 are provided with inturned portions 14: which constitute stops for engagement with the side arms of the inverted U- shaped member 25.

I claim:

1. A folding chair including a longitudinally foldable seat and a folding supporting means therefor comprising inner and outer pairsof side legs each consisting of a pair of upper and lower pivotally connected sections, the up er and lower sections of each pair of legs aving pivotal connection with each other and a connection between the front and rear ends of the seat and the upper ends of the leg sections for limiting the separation of the same when the chair is opened.

2. As a new article of manufacture a foldable supporting leg comprising a pair of members each including an upper and lower pivotally connected section, and a pivotal connection respectively between the upper sections of said members and the lower sections of said members to permit initially of the swinging of the ivotal connections between the sections 0 themembers into axial alinement and the subsequent folding of the lower sections into substantially parallel relation to the upper sectlons.

3. A folding supporting means for furniture comprising upper and lower units each including two laterally spaced pairs of bars, a pivotal connection between each pair of bars adjacent one of their ends and a pivotal connection between the extremities of said ends of each air of bars which latter pivotal connections are adapted to be disposed in axial alinement when the bars of each pair are brought into parallel relation whereby to permit of subsequent folding of said units into substantially parallel. relation to each other.

L A folding support for furniture comprismg upper and lower units each including two laterally spaced pairs of side bars nections are adapted to be disposed in axial having transverse connection respectively alinement when the bars of each pair are with each other, a pivotal connection be brought into parallel relation whereby to 10 tween each pair of side bars adjacent one permit of a subsequent folding of said units 5 of their ends and a pivotal connection beinto substantially parallel relation.

tween the extremities of said ends of each pair of side bars which latter pivotal con- FINN SIMMONS. 

